James Copenhaver, one of three campaign rally attendees shot in 2024 during an assassination attempt on then-candidate Donald Trump, has died in Pittsburgh, his lawyer said Thursday. He was 76.
Copenhaver was in the bleachers during the event in Butler, Pennsylvania, when a 20-year-old gunman opened fire from a nearby rooftop, grazing Trump’s right ear with one bullet. Copenhaver was struck in the arm and in the abdomen, wounds that left him with lingering injuries and walking with a cane.
Two other attendees were also shot — David Dutch, who survived, and Corey Comperatore, who shielded his family from gunfire and was killed.
Copenhaver died Wednesday at Allegheny Health Network’s West Penn Hospital in Pittsburgh, according to a statement from the Allegheny County medical examiner cited in local media accounts.
Copenhaver’s lawyer, Joseph Feldman, said in a statement issued on behalf of the family that he died surrounded by loved ones. The statement did not specify if his death was directly related to the injuries he suffered at the rally.
Copenhaver and his wife, Marianne Copenhaver, sued the federal government in June, alleging that the Secret Service and Department of Homeland Security had “utterly failed” to provide appropriate security at the rally. Copenhaver’s injuries required multiple surgeries, including a transection of his colon, and he had lingering kidney and other damage, including a loss of feeling in his leg. The lawsuit described the wounds as “debilitating, grievous, permanent and life altering.”
The family’s statement Thursday called Copenhaver above all else a devoted husband, father and grandfather who instilled the values of hard work, integrity and the service to others in his children.
“James’s dedication to this great country was a defining part of his life,” it said. “As a veteran, he proudly served our nation in the armed forces, and his love of country never wavered. James was a true American patriot who believed deeply in the freedoms and ideals upon which this nation was founded, and he embodied the very best traits of our great nation.”
In a statement posted to social media, Trump on Thursday called Copenhaver “a true American Patriot.”
“Jim showed tremendous bravery, courageously continuing to FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT, and maintaining a positive spirit despite unimaginable hardships,” Trump wrote.
And a Washington Township coffee shop is experiencing a boost in business after Ms. Rachel gave it a shout-out on Threads.
Plus, Gov. Mikie Sherrill is calling on Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell to resign after an investigation found Caldwell sexually harassed women, and more news of the day.
The New Jersey Department of Transportation told The Inquirer that the construction along Route 70 that stretches from Pennsauken to Marlton will “essentially be complete this year.”
I know what you’re thinking: Really? It’s been five years.
Now the only work left, NJDOT said, is a few new traffic signals which are expected to be up in October, followed by some re-striping and paving.
Gov. Sherrill on Thursday night called for the swift resignation of her lieutenant governor following the release of an ethics investigation that found Caldwell had sexually harassed women on the job, among other complaints.
Amid rising political violence, the state Assembly gave final approval Thursday to a bill that would allow political candidates to spend campaign donations on security guards and equipment.
New Jersey’s Rep. LaMonica McIver juggles running for reelection, pregnancy, and fighting charges from President Donald Trump’s administration for allegedly assaulting an ICE officer during a protest last year, Inquirer columnist Jenice Armstrong writes.
After the Taliban captured Kabul on Aug. 15, 2021, numerous news articles compared Washington’s withdrawal from Afghanistan to similar events in Vietnam on April 30, 1975. Some articles highlighted differences in the conflicts, such as media coverage and troop motivations, while others underlined similarities, including the evacuation of nearly identical numbers of Afghans and Vietnamese in the days leading up to collapse of Kabul and Saigon.
It’s been five years since America’s withdrawal from Kabul — and the experience of the United States leaving Vietnam still resonates as Afghanistan has become one of the poorest countries in the world.
In Vietnam, Hanoi’s counterproductive domestic and foreign policy stifled the economy, undermined diplomacy, and caused a mass exodus of millions of Vietnamese from the country. And yet, 20 years later, Vietnam normalized relations with the United States and embraced a global market system that has since made it one of the world’s fastest-growing economies.
Two main factors explain U.S.-Vietnam reconciliation. The first stemmed from Hanoi’s moderation in foreign policy, which downplayed Cold War rhetoric and acknowledged the need to integrate into the international system. The second stemmed from Washington’s diplomatic strategy toward Vietnam, which maintained consistent conditions for normalizing relations.
When the United States left in 1975, Vietnamese Communist Party leader General Secretary Le Duan implemented socialist policies, including agricultural collectivization and forced relocation to New Economic Zones. Hanoi also imprisoned hundreds of thousands of South Vietnamese who had cooperated with Americans during the war in order to “re-educate” them in Marxist thought.
Relations deteriorated with China and Cambodia, two countries that cooperated with Vietnam to resist America’s presence in Indochina. Hanoi invaded Cambodia in December 1978, following Pol Pot’s repeated incursions into Vietnam. China responded by sending 200,000 soldiers into northern Vietnam, leading to a three-week border war. The nation became one of the poorest countries in the world, kept afloat only by subsidies from the Soviet Union. The U.S. embargo did not help.
The Carter administration attempted to normalize relations with Vietnam without preconditions prior to Hanoi’s occupation of Cambodia. Vietnam refused to do so, demanding the United States pay $3.25 billion in war reparations. After the December 1978 invasion, Jimmy Carter conditioned normalization on Vietnam’s signing of a peace agreement on Cambodia. Ronald Reagan upheld his predecessor’s stipulation, adding that Vietnam must make significant progress on locating and repatriating approximately 2,500 American prisoners of war (POW) and missing in Action (MIA). Hanoi’s leadership cooperated, hoping to secure economic and political concessions from Washington.
During the Reagan years, numerous other humanitarian issues compelled Washington and Hanoi to sustain a diplomatic dialogue, including the resettlement of refugees, Amerasians, and former Vietnamese political prisoners. Diplomacy on these issues helped foster a favorable atmosphere prior to reconciliation.
Such negotiations begot economic opportunities as long as Vietnam remained in Cambodia.
It wasn’t until 1986, after General Secretary Le Duan’s death, that the Communist Party changed course and pursued a market economy. In 1989, Vietnam withdrew from Cambodia and began pursuing new economic policies. Sustained U.S. pressure during negotiations and consistent conditions for establishing economic and diplomatic ties contributed to Vietnam’s moderation.
Lastly, U.S. businesses wanted Washington to lift the economic embargo to give American companies access to Vietnam’s resources. Hanoi’s leadership eventually moderated its domestic and foreign policy, advancing negotiations and proving to U.S. policymakers that Vietnam could manage bilateral and multilateral relations.
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In April 1991, President George H.W. Bush provided the Vietnamese with a road map to normalization outlining economic and political concessions in exchange for progress on the POW/MIA issue. The road map gave both sides a diplomatic plan to follow. President Bill Clinton continued Bush’s plan, and in 1994, he lifted the economic embargo. The following year, the United States and Vietnam normalized diplomatic relations.
Certainly, the postwar conditions that fostered U.S.-Vietnamese dialogue are different for Afghanistan. There are no American POW/MIAs listed in Afghanistan. While Washington welcomed nearly 200,000 Afghan refugees since the fall of Kabul, refugee admissions are currently suspended for most nationalities, including Afghans.
Kabul has not invaded any of its neighbors, but the United States remains committed to its partnership with Pakistan. Washington does not currently have Kabul under an embargo, but fewer countries are interested in investing in Afghanistan than at a similar time for Vietnam. Nor does it help that Hibatullah Akhundzada, leader of Afghanistan, is wanted by the International Criminal Court for imposing severe restrictions on women and girls in the country.
But diplomatic exchange could be fruitful, politically and economically. The Taliban are increasingly desperate to modernize its economy and end its international isolation. Rather than cutting off diplomacy entirely,the example of U.S.-Vietnam reconciliation suggests that a new phase of U.S.-Afghan relations could benefit both the people of Afghanistan and U.S. interests.
Zachary Tayler is a doctoral candidate in history at Ohio University, specializing in U.S.-Vietnam postwar relations.
Made by History takes readers beyond the headlines with articles written and edited by professional historians. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of The Inquirer.
This week marks a year since Shackamaxon debuted. Named for the place Lenape chiefs would meet for discussions and community ceremonies under the great elm, the column is focused on what happens at City Hall and Harrisburg — our modern Shackamaxons. This week’s edition focuses on SEPTA and whether bipartisanship is truly dead.
A SEPTA Market-Frankford Line train as it heads away from the Frankford Transportation Center in 2024.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
Getting there
In 2032, if all goes according to plan, SEPTA will look quite different.
The Market-Frankford Line will have new trains and run more frequently. There’ll be new trolleys, as well, with modern light rail cars replacing the aging fleet. Instead of boarding at the corner, like a bus, trolley riders will have new, fully accessible stations with seating.
The Regional Rail fleet will be in the middle of its own modernization. While the process will take longer, SEPTA plans to make every Regional Rail station accessible, replace its fleet, and boost frequencies to every 15 or 30 minutes, depending on the line. It’s an ambitious undertaking that would more than double the number of people who live within a quarter mile of frequent mass transit, from 900,000 to two million.
This kind of optimism is rare for SEPTA, an agency that is accustomed to hearing complaints and begging lawmakers for enough money to keep current levels of service operating. The SEPTA Accelerate plan does depend on securing additional funding from Harrisburg. This time, however, the city’s transit leaders are trying a different approach: Instead of pointing out the potential dangers of losing services, they are highlighting what they could provide if given adequate resources.
It also comes at an opportune time. While there are always improvements to be made when it comes to timeliness and quality of life, SEPTA has made unmistakable progress.
The agency has hired hundreds of cleaners, with each station now covered by a dedicated member of staff during heavy-use periods. Customer satisfaction has reached record highs. Throughout it all, SEPTA has remained the country’s most efficient transit agency. Each ride costs less than $8 to provide, compared with the rest of the nation’s $12 average.
Even Republican state Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman seems to have noticed. In an interview with NBC10’s Lauren Mayk, Pittman gave SEPTA and new General Manager Scott Sauer credit for responding to criticism, reducing crime, raising revenue, and improving its credit rating.
Locally, the proposal received praise. Montgomery County Commissioner (and SEPTA board member) Neil Makhija told me he’s been advocating for SEPTA to have 15-minute Regional Rail service for years, and that he is “thrilled to see that transformative vision has finally been released in this plan.”
Longtime SEPTA riders will remember the old “We’re Getting There” slogan. The Accelerate plan is the agency’s biggest chance to finally arrive.
Traffic on the Roosevelt Expressway at Cottman Avenue in Northeast Philadelphia.TOM GRALISH / Staff Photographer
Boulevard or bust
The plan, while ambitious, does not call for any significant expansions in the immediate future. Extensions to Reading, Allentown, Maryland, and King of Prussia get a brief mention — as ideas the agency might embrace in a better-resourced future. The long-awaited subway extension to Roosevelt Boulevard is also included in the map. Events, however, may require deciding on this sooner rather than later.
After all, PennDot is already planning to redo the entire corridor. The initial plan is to add $134 million in safety improvements. Longer term, there are six different options. The route could either become a neighborhood boulevard, with less space for motorized traffic, or it could become a partially capped expressway, separating high-speed traffic from pedestrians and homes. Both proposals would then be paired with one of three transit options: a subway extension, a light rail route, or Bus Rapid Transit.
BRT is the cheapest option and would be my preference if the subway doesn’t get built. The idea is to give buses a dedicated lane and limit how often they stop. This would speed up service for current riders, but wouldn’t bring in a significant number of new commuters. There is also a chance future policymakers would remove the dedicated bus lanes in order to provide more space for motorists, something that has happened to BRT systems in other states.
To some policymakers, light rail represents a kind of Goldilocks option. It has more transformative potential than bus service, while costing less than a full metro line. To me, however, Roosevelt Boulevard is a particularly bad fit for the idea.
The cheapest way to build a light rail system would include trains traveling in their own lanes next to automobile traffic. Given the often-chaotic behavior of motorists in Philadelphia, trips would be subject to delays every time a driver decides to save a couple of minutes by driving along the tracks. The trains would also get caught at red lights anytime left-turning traffic builds up.
Officials could mitigate this risk by building an elevated trackway, but this would make the project significantly more expensive, negating the entire point of opting for light rail. Additionally, riders would have to transfer at the end of the line rather than seamlessly continuing into Center City, as they would with a subway expansion. Light rail also costs more to operate than a subway, meaning any savings would disappear over time.
While it has the highest construction costs, the subway option remains the ideal solution for the corridor. It would transform how people get around the region.
Bucks County residents would be able to travel all the way to the sports complex for events after parking at Rock Hill Station, helping to alleviate the postgame traffic crunch. Northeast Philadelphia’s emerging dining scene would benefit from improved access to diners from Center City and South Philadelphia. It would make the Boulevard an attractive corridor for employers, who could bring in talent from the city’s core via the subway, while also remaining accessible to suburban residents. It would also mitigate traffic congestion the most, which is especially important if PennDot selects the neighborhood boulevard option.
Lt. Gov. Austin Davis (left) and Attorney General Dave Sunday (right) joined Arnold Ventures’ Kevin Ring at the company’s Public Safety Boot Camp on Thursday.Photo from Lt. Gov Austin Davis staff
Bipartisan belief
With state lawmakers consistently unable to perform the basics, like passing a budget on time, it is worth wondering whether Washington’s allergy to bipartisanship has spread to Pennsylvania, which has traditionally been more collegial.
At a panel discussion last Thursday at the Franklin Institute, however, the spirit of cooperation was thriving. Lt. Gov. Austin Davis and Attorney General Dave Sunday spoke at Arnold Ventures’ Public Safety Boot Camp, which hosted legislators from around the country and both political parties. The two showed a remarkable amount of overlap, both professing support for evidence-based approaches, accountability, and second chances.
Even better? State and local leaders are already seeing results from this balanced approach: Homicides in Philadelphia are at generational lows, as well as being down across the commonwealth.
The pope who came in peace arrived in a Philadelphia seemingly under occupation.
For the roughly 1 million people who descended upon Philly to try to catch a glimpse of Pope Francis over his two-day visit in September 2015,there was an unprecedented level of security. Center City was put under 24-7 military supervision by armed personnel in vehicles stationed at busy intersections.
Security had not been as strict in 1979. When Pope John Paul II stepped off “Shepherd One” to kick off his not-quite 24-hour visit, he was met by a genuflecting Mayor Frank Rizzo before passing and waving to a mass of Catholics lined up on Broad Street.
Francis’ six-day tour covered three cities — including New York and Washington — as part of the first-ever World Meeting of Families, touted as the largest global gathering of Catholic families held on U.S. soil.
On his first night in town, in an address at Independence Hall, Francis emphasized the right to religious freedom, touched on immigration and the plight of refugees, and called for “peace, tolerance, and respect for the dignity and rights of others,” without specifically addressing same-sex marriage or abortion rights.
Despite the increased security, on night two, Francis rode in his popemobile up and down the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, to City Hall and back, before moving on to the night’s primary venue.
In an address on the Parkway, Francis preached to a throng of believers about the importance of family and again pleaded for more tolerance, faith, and love.
“Love is something we learn,” he said. “Love is something we live.”
Much like John Paul II’s visit, supporters filled Logan Square, streaming in from the Philadelphia Museum of Art, City Hall, and beyond. But despite being a sizable crowd, it was not as large as first anticipated because of the security restrictions.
To get in and out that night, visitors faced the aptly named papal box, which encased Center City ina safety cocoon. Vehicle travel was a nonstarter, with streets cut off by cement dividers, and pedestrians could enter the cocoon only after walking through serious-looking metal detectors.
Despite the restrictions, an overwhelming sense of joy permeated the city, as more than a million people united in celebration of a 78-year-old man and his relentless pursuit of a better world.
“It feels like a big embrace,” Katherine Brennan of Rhode Island told The Inquirer. “We feel like everybody here is family. This is a microcosm of what the world could be if we all embraced each other the way he does.”
Happy Friday. A nor’easter is bearing down on the Jersey Shore, but here in Philly we’re only expecting a chance of showers and highs around 70 degrees.
But first, let’s start with a potential medical breakthrough: A novel treatment for melanoma tested at Penn could mark a turning point in using mRNA vaccines to fight cancer.
When mRNA vaccines were developed to combat the coronavirus pandemic, using Nobel Prize-winning research conducted at Penn, it sparked a clinical interest in using them to combat other ailments.
But at first,they were proven useful only against infectious diseases, not cancer.
That could now be changing. A late-stage clinical trial conducted at Penn and dozens of other sites extended the time it took for one type of cancer to return or spread, according to preliminary findings released by drugmakers Merck and Moderna.
In the trial, melanoma patients who had already had surgery to remove cancerous growths received a tailored mRNA vaccine to try to destroy any remaining cancer cells.
Participant Denise Fitzsimmons, a 63-year-old grandmother from Birdsboro, Pa., said she hopes the trial will lead to a more enduring remission for her cancer.
“My fifth granddaughter is on her way,” she said. “So I have a lot to live for.”
When she was just 9 years old, Ashley Rivera walked from her home in Kensington to the 7-Eleven across the street to grab a snack.
On her walk back, she noticed a man in his 60s, slowly rolling past in a green Jeep. He had long, greasy, stringy hair, and was looking right at her.
She ignored him, until he pulled up and asked her to get into his car.
This week, Rivera realized who the man who tried to abduct her was: Raymond “R.C.” Horsch, the shock-seeking pornographer now linked to at least seven missing women.
“I really do feel like I escaped something big,” Rivera told The Inquirer.
Mayor Cherelle L. Parker hopes to pass a 20-year property tax break for large, deteriorating buildings that are rehabbed into housing, but not all of City Council is on board.
City Councilmember Jeffery Young Jr. has proposed a new zoning bill to keep the Academy of Natural Sciences building from being converted into housing or commercial space after the museum closes its doors.
The CDC showed one measles-related fatality on its online dashboard Wednesday, even as Pennsylvania counts a total of four, continuing a pattern where state and federal health agencies differ in communicating about the ongoing outbreak.
An Irish man with a green card application pending was arrested by ICE while trying to fly home to Philadelphia from California, part of a trend of increased immigration enforcement at airports.
Welcome back to Curious Philly Friday, our forum for readers to ask about the city’s quirks and then we report the answers.
This week, we have an explainer from reporter Michelle Myers on a civic call that we’re all obligated to answer: jury duty. While it’s possible to be excused from serving on a jury for various hardships, a reader wondered if it’s possible to age out of this responsibility altogether in the state.
The short answer, as Michelle found, is it depends on which court has issued the summons.
🦅 Monitoring. Eagles tailgates can get elaborate. Think DJs, tents and multicourse meals. But now, diehard tailgaters are concerned new parking restrictions at the Linc would rein in the fun.
☕️ Tracking. Call it the Miss Rachel effect. When the online educator shouted out Blended Joe Coffee Bar in South Jersey, customers started pouring in from far and wide, writes The Inquirer’s Sarah Nicell.
📖 Breaking down. The scandal currently rocking Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner’s office can feel a little convoluted. Luckily, The Inquirer’s Chris Palmer made a gripping timeline of each twist in the underlying case.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: Crocs is suing this Philadelphia-based retailer, alleging it knowingly knocked off the footwear company’s ubiquitous foam clogs.
Cheers to Jim Keenan, who correctly guessed Thursday’s answer: Villanova University. A new ordinance seeks to give officials in Tredyffrin Township more power to address “raucous student housing” catering to those attending this school.
WRTI radio host Ariana Droz-Santiago, 25, adjusts her hair as her picture is taken in front of a John Coltrane portrait at LOVE Park, one part of a weeklong event celebrating what would have been Coltrane’s 100th birthday.Aidan T. Gallo / Staff Photographer
Happy 100 years to a jazz legend.
👋 We made it to Friday. I’m subbing in for Paola Pérez so I’ll see you tomorrow, too.
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Think you know your news? There’s only one way to find out. Welcome back to our weekly News Quiz — a quick way to see if your reading habits are sinking in and to put your local news knowledge to the test.
Question 1 of 10
A veteran Philly teacher and activist faced backlash this week after revealing that she had lied about her:
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
The teacher activists who organized alongside Hannah Gann want accountability on behalf of the vulnerable students who believed the Philadelphia School District teacher was someone she was not. Gann claimed to be Black and Palestinian. She was active in the fight to defend Keziah Ridgeway, another Philadelphia teacher disciplined for her social media posts. But Gann has admitted she is a white, Jewish woman and the relative of Israeli settlers.
Question 2 of 10
The Rocky statue has moved again. It’s been installed in what’s being billed as its permanent space. Where is that?
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
The city’s famed statue was installed atop the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s iconic steps Wednesday. The statue, which Sylvester Stallone commissioned for Rocky III, has long been a controversial piece of public art in the city. It arrived in town in 1981, and has since been moved about a half dozen times — including previous stints at the top of the steps.
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Question 3 of 10
Philly-based discount retailer Five Below is being sued for allegedly knowingly selling knock-offs of this company’s main product:
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
Crocs’ attorneys say Five Below kept selling foam clog look-alikes and accessories even after being notified in March of trademark, patent, and intellectual property infringement. The allegations were detailed in a lawsuit filed last week by Crocs and its subsidiary, Jibbitz Charms, in federal court in Colorado, where Crocs is based. The plaintiffs take issue with Five Below’s “Juniors Charm Clog,” which look like trademarked Crocs, and the shoe’s accompanying charms, which resemble the patented Jibbitz ones that can be affixed to Crocs.
Question 4 of 10
Which Philly neighborhood housed the first Ronald McDonald House?
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
On Tuesday, Oct. 15, 1974, officials hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the world’s first Ronald McDonald House at 4032 Spruce St. in West Philadelphia. What started as a collaboration by Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, the Eagles, and McDonald's is now a network of 400 houses in 62 countries, including three in the Philadelphia region.
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Question 5 of 10
Michelle Zauner has announced her second memoir. Thank You For Your Suffering follows the Crying in H Mart author and Philly bandleader on a journey to South Korea. What band is Zauner the frontwoman of?
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
Thank You For Suffering chronicles the year that Zauner — who was born in Eugene, Ore., and graduated from Bryn Mawr College, before starting her Philly bands Little Big League and Japanese Breakfast — spent living in South Korea, learning the language, and connecting more deeply with her mother’s family.
Question 6 of 10
Little Bean, the West Philly coffee shop owned by the couple behind Cleo Bagels, has a new housemade syrup flavor just in time for fall. What is it?
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
Little Bean’s new pumpernickel syrup is available in any coffee drink, but co-owner Alex Malamy says it’s best showcased in the form of a pumpernickel cortado. It’s savory and cozy, with notes of caraway seed and cocoa powder.
Question 7 of 10
This artist’s Saturday performance at Lincoln Financial Field drew ire and protests ahead of the show after the firing of opening act Macklemore because of the rapper’s pro-Palestinian comments. Their Philly concert marked the first of the tour since Macklemore’s removal, leading to other opening acts and musicians also quitting. Who was the headlining act?
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
At his first concert since controversy roiled his North American tour, Ed Sheeran said he was“deeply worried” by venues influencing performances after the firing of Macklemore. Sheeran said the tour’s promoter was responsible for the firing, not him. Critics say Sheeran should’ve held firm on Macklemore’s inclusion. “I’ve had to take and make difficult decisions, and I am making mistakes, and I am so, so sorry,” Sheeran told the crowd Saturday night at Lincoln Financial Field.
Question 8 of 10
Elkins Park's Lynwood Hall is opening its doors to the public, honoring the characters of what HBO show?
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
The historic Elkins Park mansion is opening to the public for the first time in 84 years. The 100,000-square-foot home will host “Fleurs de Villes: The Gilded Age,” a 10-day floral exhibition honoring the history of the period and the characters of the hit HBO series, The Gilded Age.
Question 9 of 10
Zach Ertz is rejoining the Eagles after Dallas Goedert’s injury. When was the last time he played for the Birds?
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
Ertz, a 2013 second-round pick by the Eagles, was last with the team in 2021. The Eagles traded him that season to the Arizona Cardinals for cornerback Tay Gowan and a 2022 fifth-round draft pick. He spent parts of three seasons in Arizona before joining Washington in free agency in 2024. Ertz is expected to be ready to play Monday night in Chicago — and could outright be signed to the open Eagles spot — just over nine months removed from the gruesome knee injury that ended his 2025 season.
Question 10 of 10
What Shore icon is showing signs of collapse?
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
The wall under the decking of Wonderland Pier is caving in and showing signs of collapse, say owner Eustace Mita and Ocean City inspectors. Ocean City has sent Mita a “Notice of Unsafe Structure,” along with a request for an engineer’s report and a plan of corrective action, city spokesperson Doug Bergen said.
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Seems like you’ve been skimming more than reading there, buddy. There’s always next week.
You’ve read some articles (or made some educated guesses) but we wouldn’t come to you first for our local news recaps. Better luck next week!
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Palm Vintage, located on the ground floor of the Ritz-Carlton Residences, contains two concepts within one space. During the day, it’s an airy, welcoming cafe that serves Lavazza espresso drinks, sandwiches, and bagels. For dinner, the space morphs into a cocktail lounge that serves sushi rolls and sashimi sets that rival some of Philly’s best sushi restaurants.
Palm Vintage opened as a cafe in May and soft-opened dinner service last week, once it had obtained a liquor license. Its grand opening, which will highlight its evening offerings, is scheduled for Sept. 29. Until then, owner Houston Yang, 37, is tweaking the details of each dish and set.
Owner Houston Yang, of Fishtown, poses for a portrait at Palm Vintage on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026, in Philadelphia.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
The space’s name is meant to evoke Miami — where Yang loves to visit — and the old school, classic feel of its location.
Palm Vintage does not have an omakase: The space can only accommodate one counter, and that is dedicated to the cafe-cocktail bar. But its menu reads like a high-end sushi restaurant’s. There’s a mini omakase for $65 and a “treasure of the sea” set for $99.
The difference between sushi at Palm Vintage and, say, Oroshi, the nearby home of affordable omakase on Broad Street, is that at Palm Vintage, you receive all your pieces of nigiri and sashimi at once, rather than one by one.
The Hindi donburi set, which has toro, crab, scallop, yellowtail, oyster, caviar, and sushi rice at Palm Vintage.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
The types of fish served are crowd-pleasers, like salmon, fatty tuna, uni, and hamachi. Both the fish sets and cocktails are frequently decorated with gold leaf and edible flowers, appealing to the Instagram set and setting Palm Vintage apart from other casual sushi restaurants in Philly, including the others owned by Yang.
The five-piece hand roll set with toro, salmon, sweet shrimp, lobster, and crab at Palm Vintage.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
Yang is the entrepreneur behind Fuwa Teriyaki Grill and Fushimi, both located in the food court of the Shops at Liberty Place. Originally from Fuzhou, China, he moved to Philly as a child. Yang’s parents, who now help out at his food court sushi restaurants, owned a Chinese-American takeout restaurant in Delaware County that they sold a decade ago.
Yang and his wife lived in the Ritz-Carlton residences between 2023 and 2025 and during that time, identified a need within the building for a spot that served healthy dinners but also cocktails. “My wife loves sushi,” he explained as one impetus behind Palm Vintage’s sushi-driven menu. “But she also loves drinking, so I had to open a bar along with a sushi place.”
A toro hand roll from the five-piece hand roll set.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
Yang was also inspired by how readily available fresh sushi can be in Japan. “Two years ago, I grabbed sushi at an airport in Japan and had it on a flight — it was so easy,” he said. This sparked the idea that high-end sushi could be a casual experience. For years, going out for sushi in Philly has meant either grabbing affordable takeout, or splashing out for an expensive omakase. More recently, the gap in between those options has shrunk significantly, with the openings of places like Oroshi, Yanaga Kappo Izakaya, and the upstairs of Kissho House.
Palm Vintage took over the space that once belonged to Waterfront Deli and hired many of the former deli’s workers for their daytime cafe. This also means that they encounter the same regulars, many of them residents of the Ritz-Carlton Residences, on their morning coffee runs.
The Shiso Blossom cocktail.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
Palm Vintage’s craft cocktails are mellow and approachable and mostly within the $17 to $19 range. Like the sushi, they often are made of startlingly high-end ingredients, such as Hibiki Japanese whiskey.
“It’s a place to get nice drinks, nice food, but that food just happens to be sushi,” said Yang.
Palm Vintage is open every day from 8:30 a.m. to midnight. It operates as a cafe from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the kitchen spends 4 to 5 p.m. flipping to sushi dinner service (the space remains open during this time). Dinner is served from 5 p.m. to midnight. Cocktails are served from 11 a.m. to midnight.
Alexander “Chicken Man” Tominsky walked into the Museum of the Philadelphian in a Canadian tuxedo and a baseball hat with “Phillies” written on it in marker on Tuesday and was blown away to find his name on a plaque alongside other local legends like Benjamin Franklin and Philly Elmo.
“No way! Oh my gracious! Who would have known when I was a little kid crying in my pillow something like this would happen,” he said, pointing to his name.
Tominsky — who became renowned throughout the land in 2022 for eating 40 rotisserie chickens in 40 days, culminating with a public noshing of a chicken on an abandoned Walmart pier in South Philly — was invited to a preview opening for the museum by its founder and creator, Brian Adoff.
Founder and creator Brian Adoff outside his Museum of the Philadelphian in Fishtown.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
“The museum is about the personality and attitude and conduct of Philadelphians,” Adoff said. “My personal hope is that you leave inspired to really be the best version of yourself, the best Philadelphian you can be.”
Located in a 300-square-foot storefront that was previously Adoff’s office on East Girard Avenue in Fishtown, the free, temporary “micro museum” is just down the road from another Philly landmark — the “I Hate Bank of America” sign. The large, yellow banner was put up by a homeowner in 2007, after the bank branch across the street ticked him off. The branch closed many years ago, but the sign remains, a grand tribute to Philadelphians’ spite.
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What makes Philadelphians this way? And what makes it so oddly endearing? These are questions Adoff explores in his absurd and unexpectedly heartwarming museum, which opens Friday.
“There’s an emotional narrative arc the museum takes in its 300 square feet, where it ends with literally a book of Philadelphians who exhibit five qualities that I’ve determined, with my crack team of curatorial advisers, that make up a Philadelphian,” Adoff said.
As of a student of the Philadelphian who’s written hundreds of profiles of the everyday people who make me love this city more every day, I thought Adoff had set a lofty goal for himself when we first met earlier this month. How do you distill what it means to be a Philadelphian in 300 square feet? And how do you decide who makes the cut?
At the preview Tuesday, I was pleased to find that over the course of about 20 exhibits in the space, Adoff skillfully addresses the Santa-hating-battery-throwing-robot-killing tropes that haunt Philadelphians, while also getting to the oddly-touching truths behind those, and other very Philly stories.
Visitors browse the Museum of the Philadelphian.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
And while Adoff and his team have compiled a “Register of Philadelphians” with more than 50 names and stories of local folk heroes who epitomize what it means to be a Philadelphian, their best decision may have been to include cards for visitors to nominate their own quintessential Philadelphian. Because if one thing is certain, Philly is going to have thoughts.
Grease the pole
Guests are greeted in the museum’s front window by a re-creation of the death of hitchBOT, the hitchhiking Canadian robot who traveled across the country on human kindness, only to be dismembered and beheaded in Philly. In the accompanying plaque, Adoff notes that Philadelphians offered to rebuild the robot, and that a Philly police detective jokingly blamed the crime on New Jerseyans.
A re-creation of the death of hitchBOT is displayed in the front window of the Museum of the Philadelphian.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Once inside the museum, two large papier-mâché sculptures immediately catch the eye — one, of a Philadelphian climbing a greased pole, and the other of Jason Kelce during his Eagles Super Bowl speech. In the first, guests are invited to “grease the pole” with a paintbrush and clear goo from a nearby can (you know I did it!), and at the latter, visitors can stand under a sound dome (fancy!) in front of the sculpture to hear Kelce’s “Hungry Dogs” speech.
A papier-mâché sculpture of Jason Kelce during his 2018 Eagles Super Bowl speech is featured in the Museum of the Philadelphian.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
In the center of the room is a freestanding wall with a rearview mirror on it. The accompanying plaque tells the story of Ted Passon, whose parked car was flipped in the aftermath of the Phillies 2008 World Series win. Passon created a blog asking Philadelphians who enjoyed the spectacle to help pay for his vehicle, and through the generosity of donors, he was able to get a new car and give $3,000 to someone else whose car was flipped. On an iPad at the exhibit, visitors can play a YouTube video of the flipping and read Passon’s blog.
I remembered the story well because I interviewed Passon about it in 2008. Seeing him at the event Tuesday was a full-circle Philly moment for both of us. Passon, who’s now an Emmy Award-winning documentarian, said he was happy to loan the mirror of the vehicle Philly claimed from him to the museum.
“It’s an honor to be included in the story of Philadelphia,” he said. “If I can be a footnote in the city’s history, I did something right in my life.”
‘Booing is my love language’
Other exhibits explore Philadelphians’ history with booing, our history of throwing things, and the five qualities Adoff and his team have decided make a Philadelphian, with number one being, “Does not wait for permission.”
The “Register of Philadelphians” on the wall and accompanying book begins in 1731 with Benjamin Franklin and ends this year, with Jameka Wilson, the woman who went viral for her TV interview about kicking a man in a Chucky mask who was terrorizing pedestrians.
The Register of Philadelphians features notable Philadelphians ranging from Ben Franklin to Jameka Wilson. To the left of the register is the museum’s official portrait gallery, which can be seen through two ViewMasters. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
I was excited to see a couple people I’ve written about on the list, including Paul “Jelloman” Vile and the late Gilbert Hilton, who turned heads across the city for years in his “Badillac” car, which was covered in items from Goodwill, and who was one of the most Philly people I’ve ever met.
There’s also a portrait gallery by the Rev. Michael Alan of seven Philadelphians in the register that can only be seen through an old-school ViewMaster, which were a hit with the crowd.
“It was a small space and this was a way to make something look bigger without being bigger,” Alan said.
Creator and founder Brian Adoff talks about the Museum of the Philadelphian in front of the museum’s gift shop. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
The tiny museum even has a gift shop with shirts that say “I greased the pole at the Museum of the Philadelphian” and bumper stickers that read “Booing is my love language.”
‘The most Philadelphian thing’
The museum was funded by Adoff through his experience design studio, Architects of Human Connection, and admission is free because he believes “the Philadelphian has paid enough.”
The museum is a culmination of Adoff’s many endeavors over the years, from music, clowning, absurdist theater, and working as a tour guide for the Greater Philadelphia Film Office, to managing a software business and, most recently, creating events that connect Philadelphians.
In 2023, he cofounded the Fishtown Choir,and last year, Adoff created Join Philly, which connects Philadelphians with area clubs and groups.
The idea for the museum came to Adoff in June, as he was trying to think of uses for his storefront office space. With the help of five paid collaborators, Adoff built the museum in less than three months, which is impressive, given the amount of research that clearly went into the exhibits, plaques, and bios.
“It started kind of absurd and silly until I was like, ‘Oh, this is just like everything else I do. It matters and it actually has heart and it has meaning,” he said.
Brian Adoff in the Museum of the Philadelphian he created in Fishtown. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Here’s the potentially scandalous thing — Adoff isn’t a Philly native. He’s originally from Long Island, moved to Cherry Hill as a kid, and came to Philly to attend the University of Arts. He spent time in Chicago then returned to Fishtown 20 years ago, where now lives with his wife and son.
Knowing how nativist Philly can be (my native colleagues said transplants can “never” say they’re from Philly if they moved after the age of 13), I had to ask Adoff what gave him the gall to open the museum.
“Because I express the qualities that make a Philadelphian,” he said.
“But you decided those qualities, right?” I asked. (They are: 1. Does not wait for permission 2. Decides for themselves what is worth doing 3. Keeps going whether encouraged or not 4. Does not care what anyone thinks 5. Believes, in their heart, the work is needed).
“Yes, which is the most Philadelphian thing I could have done,” he said.
Adoff wants people to leave his museum feeling as inspired as he did after watching the opening of the Obama Presidential Center on TV. He dreams of Rob Mac narrating an audio tour of the exhibit, like Steve Buscemi does for Eastern State Penitentiary. And his longterm goal is to open a more universal experience one day — a fart museum. Everybody isn’t lucky enough to be a Philadelphian, but everyone farts.
I imagine Benjamin Franklin, a fellow Philly transplant who once wrote a satirical essay about flatulence, would think that’s a gas.
Darrin Rowland (left), and Leslye Rowland grease the pole sculpture at the Museum of the Philadelphian on Tuesday. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Know before you go
The museum, 454 E. Girard Ave., is open Fridays (5 to 8 p.m.), Saturdays (noon to 5 p.m.), and Sundays (noon to 5 p.m.) Sept. 25 through Nov. 1.
Admission is free, but timed reservations online are recommended. Opening night is already booked and only a few spots remain for this weekend.
Like Philadelphia, there is a lack of public bathrooms at the museum, in that there are none.
The museum is wheelchair accessible via a temporary ramp. Email visit@museumofthephiladelphian.org prior to visiting so staff can have the ramp ready.
All ages are welcome, but some exhibits do include profanity.
How will artificial intelligence affect student learning on college campuses?
We don’t know. And here’s the worst part: We don’t want to know.
That’s because we have never taken teaching — or learning — seriously. We don’t prepare future professors for the classroom. And have no real systems for evaluating and rewarding their instruction.
Dire warnings aren’t new
So we also don’t have good ways to evaluate the gee-whiz rhetoric from the AI industry, which assures us the tool will “revolutionize” learning. We’ve heard that song before. In 1913, Thomas Edison forecast that books would “soon be obsolete” in schools, and that “every branch of human knowledge” would be taught via film.
Like today’s AI barons, Edison had a vested interest in that outcome: He helped invent motion pictures and started a company to market them in schools. But none of his predictions came true. Ditto for the futurists who said radio, television, and personal computers would transform teaching and learning forever.
But AI is different, its enthusiasts tell us, because it interacts with us. In the brave new world to come, everyone will be taught by a robot tailored to their individual interests, skills, and goals. It will help students “build agency,” “learn continuously,” and “solve hard problems,” declares the largest provider, OpenAI.
The initial research suggests the opposite: Students forsake their agency to the bot when challenges arise. As a recent report by an AI committee at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) warned, AI creates “the illusion of learning” for students who use it “at the first hint of struggle.”
But in higher education, we’ve been fostering the illusion of learning for a very long time. Over the past half century, we have assigned less work and awarded higher grades. And there’s no evidence — none — that our students are learning more.
Nor have we made a sustained effort to incentivize teaching. At every type of institution, from small community colleges to huge private universities, professors who spend more of their time on research make more money. Those who devote themselves to teaching make less.
And nobody is really minding the classroom itself. I have been teaching at the University of Pennsylvania for 10 years, and I have never been observed by someone with supervisory authority. I could be doing anything. Or nothing.
Sure, my students submit evaluations of my courses. But the results have never figured into my rank or salary. And a good review from your students doesn’t mean you did a good job teaching them.
Indeed, it might mean the inverse. In a 2010 study at the Air Force Academy, where everyone takes the same courses, professors who got high marks from their students gave out higher grades — and their students did worse in subsequent classes. Professors who were harder graders got lower student evaluations, but their students performed better later on.
Let’s teach teaching
If we really valued teaching, we would evaluate it the same way we judge each other’s research: via peer review. When I wrote a history of college teaching, I didn’t submit it to a group of 19-year-olds to decide if I had something important to say. It was vetted by specialists in my field.
We would also give future professors sustained instruction in how to teach. To obtain a doctorate at Penn, you have to spend six to nine years reading in your field and conducting research that contributes to it. To become a teaching assistant, by contrast, you receive a three-day training.
That’s why I called my book The Amateur Hour — not because all college teaching is terrible (some of it is terrific), but because we never professionalized it. We don’t hold each other to best practices, and we don’t have good data about who is doing what.
That’s the biggest scandal in higher education we talk the least about. And AI has shone a bright light on it.
Dozens of institutions — including Penn — have released policies and statements about proper and improper uses of AI. We want AI to “enhance student learning,” not inhibit it. But we never bothered to figure out how much students were learning in the first place. So we’re in no position to judge how the bot is affecting them.
Every institution providing Claude or ChatGPT to its students should also commit to researching their learning. It won’t be easy or cheap. But it’s the only way to see our way out of this mess. Without real knowledge, we’ll be flying blind.
I’ve heard colleagues say teaching and learning are too subtle and complicated to evaluate in a meaningful way. Please. Scholars at Penn have examined hugely complex forms of human behavior, from consumer choices to sexual decision-making. If we wanted to do the same for what happens in our classrooms, we could.
